1. Technical Field
The invention relates to suspensions and in particular to an air spring suspension for absorbing road shock exerted on a vehicle or other equipment and/or for maintaining a vehicle body level with respect to the axles. More particularly, the invention relates to a combination of a connector which is mounted in the air spring for connecting to a tube which supplies fluid into the air spring. Even more particularly the invention relates to a push-pull connector mounted in the air spring which enables the tube to be pushed into the connector and then pulled slightly outwardly to seat the tube therein.
2. Background Information
Air springs are well known in the art and usually comprise an elastomeric or resilient sleeve or bellows which is mounted between a pair of support members for maintaining the members at a predetermined spacing and/or for absorbing shock exerted on these members, which usually are mounted on a vehicle or other type of equipment. The air spring consists of a flexible cylindrical wall which is sealed at the ends, either by integrally formed end walls or by separate end sealing members which are secured in a fluid tight relationship within the open ends of the resilient sleeve, to form an internal fluid chamber. The chamber is filled with a fluid, usually air, to provide the spring damping and to raise or lower the axial separation between the end members depending upon the load supported thereby. Certain of these springs are mounted within a coil spring which assists in absorbing much of the load and forces exerted thereon.
These prior art air springs are provided with a connector or valve assembly for supplying air into the fluid chamber. These valves may have an internal sealing spring such as found on vehicle intertubes and are connected to a usual air hose for filling the air chamber with air. Other connectors receive a tube which extends between the air spring and a remote source of pressurized air. Currently, these valves and connectors are either molded into the end wall of the air spring and are adapted to be inflated as is a standard pneumatic tire, or have an exposed barbed connection for slidably telescopically receiving the tube by a force fit connection thereon. However, with certain of these barbed fittings it is difficult to install the tubing over it, and if the air spring fails the tubing has to be cut off the fitting. Likewise, the tubing does not rotate with respect to the air spring which can create stress on the connector and/or tube possibly resulting in premature failure. Accordingly, there is a desire in the air spring art for a simple connector for connecting to an air tube in a simple efficient and effective manner and which is easy to repair or replace than heretofore possible with barbed type connectors or screw on valve stem type connectors.
There are numerous connectors referred to as push-pull type connectors wherein a tube or other member is inserted into an opening of the connector and then when pulled in the opposite direction locks the tube in place. Examples of such connectors are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,906,028; 5,090,741; 5,125,694; 5,174,611; 5,230,539; 5,468,028; 5,474,336; 5,511,830; 5,584,513; 5,681,061; 5,683,120 and 5,722,696. However, these prior art connectors are for various applications, none of which are remotely suggestive or related to air springs, but are used in connecting various hoses or tubes either together such as in the midline of a conduit or to a vehicle air brake line or in an air conditioning system.